Fighting in southern Afghanistan leaves 13 militants dead

Thirteen suspected Taliban fighters have been killed in fighting with US and Afghan forces in a southern province, and more than 40 other suspected militants were arrested.

Some 200 Afghan police, supported by the US-led coalition, fought the militants in the mountains of Ghorak district in Kandahar province last night, said Kandahar Gov. Asadullah Khalid.

“We have the dead bodies,” Khalid said, adding that assault rifles and some ammunition was confiscated from the fighters. He said 44 other suspects were arrested and that the Afghan and coalition forces had suffered no casualties.

US military spokesman Col. James Yonts today confirmed more than 40 suspected insurgents had been taken into custody, but gave no further details about the military operation in Kandahar, which he said was continuing